Camden Great Fire Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Camden Great Fire Historic District
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Main Street, October 2014
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Elm and Main Streets Camden, Maine United States |
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| Area | 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) |
| Built | 1892 |
| Built by | Multiple |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Second Empire, Italianate, et al. |
| NRHP reference No. | 06001221 |
| Added to NRHP | January 9, 2007 |
The Camden Great Fire Historic District is a special part of downtown Camden, Maine. It includes many important buildings. These buildings were mostly built in 1893. This happened after a huge fire in November 1892. The fire destroyed many buildings in this area. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Contents
What Happened: The Great Fire of 1892
The town of Camden is on the coast of Maine. It sits by Penobscot Bay. The town center is where the Megunticook River meets the sea. Early settlers built mills here in 1771. Camden grew into a busy port in the 1800s. Ships were built and traded here.
Main Street was the heart of the town. It had many wooden shops and homes. But on November 10, 1892, a big fire started. It began on the east side of Main Street. The fire quickly spread across the street. It burned everything on the dam over the river. Then it moved south. It destroyed buildings on Elm Street. The fire reached as far as Washington Street.
How Much Was Lost?
The fire was very destructive. It burned down 18 homes. It also destroyed 40 business buildings. The old opera house was lost too. Many social meeting halls were ruined. It was a huge disaster for the town.
Rebuilding Camden: A New Look
After the fire, Camden decided to rebuild. The town made a new rule. All new buildings in the burned area had to be fireproof. This meant using materials like brick and stone. Because of this, most buildings today are made of brick. A few temporary buildings on the dam were never replaced.
A Town Rebuilt in a Year
Eighteen of the 22 buildings in the district were built in 1893. This was amazing because there was a worldwide economic problem that year. It was called the Panic of 1893. Despite this, Camden rebuilt quickly.
Important new buildings include the Masonic hall. It is a four-story brick building. The Camden Opera House Block was also rebuilt. It stands where the old one was. It also holds town offices. The rebuilding made Camden's downtown look very unified. It still has its charm from the late 1800s.
